Kristi Bernstein

Kristi comes to the Meadows Institute with over 25 years of nonprofit experience. She has extensive knowledge of all aspects of the fundraising cycle, having worked both as a development professional and a funder. Through her career in Dallas, she has become well-acquainted with the North Texas foundation and donor landscapes.

Before joining the Meadows Institute, Kristi was President of the Koz Foundation, where she spearheaded its establishment, including all aspects of foundation operations and relocation. Previously, as Executive Director of the Hersh Foundation, Kristi created a grant strategy and worked with living founders to ensure the foundation’s giving reflected their philanthropic vision. She has established herself as a thought leader in mental health funding, served on statewide councils, spoken at national conferences, and has served as a merit reviewer for competitive philanthropic prizes. Prior to her foundation work, Kristi spent over 15 years in nonprofit development.

In her role as Campaign Director, Kristi collaborates with the Meadows Institute’s Chief Impact Officer, the Philanthropy Team, and donors to drive a multiyear, multi-million-dollar capacity-building campaign aimed at expanding key programmatic and regional initiatives. Kristi has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a focus on international and intercultural communication from Old Dominion University. Originally from Virginia, Kristi and her husband, Jon, have lived in East Dallas since 2001. She is the mother of three children and one great pup, Simpson.